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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · shower · roll · track · current · fork · cabinet · calf

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fork — in a road
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. shower — rain
  6. roll — a cake
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. shower — to wash
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. current — electric
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. roll — a list
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. track — a path
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com